Obtaining sufficient amounts of soluble, well-folded recombinant proteins for downstream applications remains a significant bottleneck in many fields that apply protein expression technologies (Makrides 1996; Baneyx 1999; Fahnert, Lilie et al. 2004), including structural genomics projects (Yokoyama 2003; Goh, Lan et al. 2004; Terwilliger 2004). Current approaches for maximizing soluble protein include screening large numbers of protein variants (mutants, fragments, fusion tags, folding partners), and testing many expression or refolding conditions (Armstrong, de Lencastre et al. 1999; Fahnert, Lilie et al. 2004).
GFP and its numerous related fluorescent proteins are now in widespread use as protein tagging agents (for review, see Verkhusha et al., 2003, GFP-like fluorescent proteins and chromoproteins of the class Anthozoa. In: Protein Structures: Kaleidescope of Structural Properties and Functions, Ch. 18, pp. 405-439, Research Signpost, Kerala, India). In addition, GFP has been used as a solubility reporter of terminally fused test proteins (Waldo et al., 1999, Nat. Biotechnol. 17:691-695; U.S. Pat. No. 6,448,087, entitled ‘Method for Determining and Modifying Protein/Peptide Solubility’; U.S. Pat. No. 6,448,087). GFP-like proteins are an expanding family of homologous, 25-30 kDa polypeptides sharing a conserved 11 beta-strand “barrel” structure. The GFP-like protein family currently comprises some 100 members, cloned from various Anthozoa and Hydrozoa species, and includes red, yellow and green fluorescent proteins and a variety of non-fluorescent chromoproteins (Verkhusha et al., supra). A wide variety of fluorescent protein labeling assays and kits are commercially available, encompassing a broad spectrum of GFP spectral variants and GFP-like fluorescent proteins, including DsRed and other red fluorescent proteins (Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif.;. Amersham, Piscataway, N.J.).